Shashi Tharoor can go out of party if he doesn't toe party line: Kerala Cong Chief

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Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 26 (IANS) Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee Chief K. Sudhakaran on Sunday threatened to take action against his party MP Shashi Tharoor, saying he was only an individual in the party and if he does not abide by the party line 'he will have to go out of the party'.

Sudhakaran was speaking to reporters in his hometown Kannur while responding to the political stand taken by Tharoor that he required more time to study on the controversial high-speed rail project which is being implemented by the state government.

While all the MP's of the Congress and the UDF had approached the Union Railway minister not to sanction the project citing environmental and financial issues, Tharoor did not meet the minister.

After not joining the Congress and the UDF MPs from Kerala in the meeting, Tharoor had told the mediapersons that he didn't attend the meeting as he needed more time to study the negative impacts, if any, of the proposed high-speed rail project.

The Congress has been on a highly volatile campaign against the high-speed rail project citing the environmental and financial damage the project would be bringing to the state. The project is proposed to be completed in five years' time with an investment of around Rs 1 lakh crore.

The open statement of Tharoor didn't go well with the state Congress leadership with former Union Home Minister and former KPCC president Mullapally Ramachandran openly telling the state Congress leadership to teach Tharoor the intricacies of party discipline. However, the KPCC president K. Sudhakaran and the leader of the opposition, V.D. Satheeshan was not harsh in the attack on Tharoor as they felt that the Thiruvananthapuram MP was seriously studying the issue.

During the inaugural function of a major Shopping mall at the state capital, Tharoor praised Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stating that the Chief Minister was taking positive steps for bringing in investments to the state. This triggered more sharp reactions from the state Congress leaders as they felt that supporting Pinarayi in public would lead to a negative impression about the state Opposition.

Sudhakaran, according to party sources, was adamant that Tharoor must toe the line taken by the party or else he will have to be shown the door.

Shashi Tharoor was not available for comment and according to information available, he was in the US and will be back only in a fortnight's time.

--IANS

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